OEM XP MCE 2005 won't install

[Rick]

I am having a problem with a clean install of Windows XP Media Center Edition
2005 SP2b.

I can load the XP OEM disk # 1 into my DVD ROM drive and everything starts
to load normally. The screen turns blue with a gray taskbar at the bottom
indicating the files and drivers that are being installed. About 2 minutes or
so of installing files, a BSOD occures (Blue Screen Of Death) indicating that
Session3_INITIALATION_FAILED STOP: 0X0000006F, (0X0000000020, 0X00000000,
0X00000000, 0X00000000). Please check software or hardware installation.

I went through the BIOS turned off the shadowing and caching per the BSOD
instructions with no effect. Have attempted to install XP 12 to 15 times with
various configurations. The same BSOD comes up everytime with the same exact
error code.

I went to the Microsoft Windows XP support and found nothing on this error
code. The only thing close was that because I have an "OEM" System Builder
Disk set I need a "OPK" installation disk that system builders use. And it
only comes when you buy a 3 pack of operating systems
(See www/microsoft.com/oem/sbllicense/OPK). I do have a valid product key
that is attached to the box, but I could not identify if I have this "OPK"
disk. I have "OEM" disks 1 and 2 plus an updates disk. To obtain this "OPK"
program Microsoft they want me to join some partners group. I just want to
install this operating system.

One computer tech told me it could be the power up - shut down settings in
my bios (I've been using the same power settings for 5 years with no
problems. Another told me it was a missing or corrupted smss.exe file in
Windows XP. I'm in a maze to nowhere!

Do you believe this error code is caused by the lack of this "OPK" disk or
something else? This computer as configured will accept Windows 98se without
any problems.

To facts are as follow:

I purchased a "OEM" Windows XP Media Center 2005 urp2 SP2b operating system
(2 disks plus 1 update disk) from Tiger Direct in February, 2007 No visible
damage / scratches to the operating system disks. No problems with the
DVD-ROM

I am using a Abit KG-7 Raid motherboard (version 1.0) with the bios updated
to the "DS" level (no newer or higher level versions available). This bios
revision can handle XP. The processor is a AMD 2600 Thunderbird / 266,
2.18gig processor. Booting is normal with 1 chirp only. Windows XP disk
starts after "press any key" F2 and F6 keys are nonresponsive, F5 key is
responsive with 2 computer selections only. This system is not overclocked in
any area.

I'm installing this operating system with disk # 1 on a Raid 1 (mirror
configuration only) with 2 Seagate ST3120814a hard drives. Both have 120.03
GB capacity with no bad sectors. Tried pressing F6 & F2 with no response.
Pressed F5, which gave me only 2 computer choices, that didn't make any
difference. Tried installing OS with and without partions. With and without
FAT 32 format. Both hard drives are set to Master and connected to seperate
IDE channels 3 and 4. Tried a different single hard drive. All with the same
error code.

Boot sequence is CD ROM; >Raid 1 HDD0; >Raid 1 HDD1. Also tried CD ROM;

HHD0; >HHD1 boot sequence (Raid turned off completely, no effect). Vast

majority of items in the bios are set for auto detect.

There is 1 gig of Crucial DDR2100 memory.

As you can see I've tried "almost" every conceivable idea with no change in
results. I need the community's help on this!

 

[David B.]

This question is a bit off topic for this group, it belongs in the
setup_deployment group.

"Tried pressing F6 & F2 with no response" You must use the F6 option to
provide the installation with the proper RAID drivers, if you hit F6 when
prompted do you get the BSOD before it asks for the floppy? (it won't ask
for the floppy immediately after pressing F6)